The present invention relates to lamp sockets, and relates more particularly to the side metal contact plate for lamp sockets which has a contact spring strip disposed in contact with the side contact of the bulb to give it an inward pressure.
A regular lamp socket is generally comprised of a socket body, a lamp bulb threaded into the socket body, a central metal contact plate and a side metal contact plate respectively fastened to a respective contact slot in said socket body to make electrical contact with the tip contact and ring contact of the lamp bulb respectively, and a socket cap fastened to the socket body to hold down an electric wire. The central metal contact plate and the side metal contact plate have a respective pointed tip extended out of the socket body and pierced the insulator of the electrical wire to make electrical contact with a respective conductor in the electric wire. The side metal contact plate has two raised portions for engagement with the spiral groove on the ring contact of the lamp bulb. However, if the raised portions of the side metal contact plate are not accurately engaged with the spiral groove on the ring contact of the lamp bulb, the contact between the side metal contact plate and the ring contact of the lamp bulb becomes unstable. When this problem happens, the lamp bulb will flash and produce heat.
The present invention has been accomplished to eliminate the aforesaid problem. According to the present invention, the side metal contact plate has a longitudinal projecting spring strip raised from one side and then turned longitudinally downward toward the orifice of the socket body, which projecting spring strip being disposed in contact with the ring contact of the lamp bulb to give it an inward pressure when the lamp bulb is threaded into the socket body. Therefore, the contact between the lamp bulb and the side metal contact plate is ensured.